Voices for Healthy Kids hosted a webinar on Wednesday, March 22nd, titled “The Power of the Purse: Understanding the Federal Budget Process and How it Shapes Policy Confirmation.” The speaker was Emily J. Holubowich, the National Vice President of Federal Advocacy at the American Heart Association, and she explained what the “Power of the Purse” is, how the budget process should work, and how it actually works now.

Holubowich also detailed what a “Policy Rider” is – language slipped into appropriations legislation – and mentioned a few riders she anticipates finding in the congressional budget for the next fiscal year. One of the more relevant riders to our work she anticipates will relate to the USDA’s school nutrition standards since the FARM bill is up for reauthorization this year.

By Maya Benysh, Policy Intern